Broken
by MaximumXRideX24
Summary: Revamped and Reposted; He lost his destiny and he lost his dreams, but maybe he'll find something different.
1. Gold Light

"You…cannot defeat me." He stumbled forward after emerging from the crater. "You…Your just a big…fat…panda!" Tai Lung threw his fist forward in a last, desperate attempt at destroying the enemy who took away the scroll, the title, and the power of the Dragon Warrior from him.

But it wasn't enough to defeat the panda. Po had caught his fist.

"I'm not a big fat panda. I'm THE big fat panda." The panda lifted his pinky, a large smile crossing his face.

"The Wuxi Finger Hold!" Tai Lung's stomach dropped as deep as the hole from which he just came from.

"Oh, you know this hold" Not possible. Tai Lung couldn't convince Shifu to teach him that technique for years. Impossible the panda could do it in a day.

"You're bluffing! You're bluffing; Shifu didn't teach you that!" Tai Lung said desperately. Anything, even prison would be better than complete annihilation.

"Nope." Tai Lung smirked with relief.

"I figured it out."

His jaw didn't have time to drop before gold light invaded his mind and vision, obliterating everything he knew. Except, for a single memory.

_The turtle shook his head. And Oogway walked off. No explanation. That wasn't like him. But he did it._

_Shifu shook his head, baffled. Tai LUng merely stood, sullen and confused. Both the Masters of Kung Fu were speechless. _

_The silence was soon broken._

"_What the hell was that?" Tai Lung exploded._

_Shifu was speechless still, jaw hanging, eye twitching._

"_What the __**hell **__was that!" Tai Lung repeated, with even more malice and demand then before._

"_Calm down Tai Lung, calm down…He had reason…Master Oogway is never without reason...You must have done something wrong...There must be something we can...at least…" Shifu racked his mind for different explanations, but none came to him._

"_There is no explanation! There's the fact that he just told me I'm NOT the Dragon Warrior! Shifu I __**AM**__ the best! You told me I was the Dragon Warrior! You've trained me to become this!" He yelled out frantically, "Besides, you should decide! HE's just a crazy damn turtle after all!"_

"_You will not talk about our Master in that manner Tai Lung!" Shifu snapped._

"_It's true! He's a million years old, and probably forgot what the Scroll even says! And he's not my Master! Not anymore!" Tai Lung said with hatred on his tongue._

"_Tai Lung, he has reason! Oogway always has! There must be something…something we need to fix, to change…" Shifu trailed into thought again. _

"_No Shifu! There is nothing! All you have to do is give me the Scroll! That's it!" Tai Lung pleaded. "Please Master! You know what this means to me! This is my life, this is it! And you know the scroll is mine!"_

"_You know I cannot do that! It is Oogway's choice and right!" _

"_You're a better Master than him anyway Shifu! You know I'm the Dragon Warrior! So give me the Scroll" A hint of demand and fury tinted Tai Lung's voice as he took half a step towards his Master._

"_No Tai Lung, you are not the Dragon Warrior! Now stop this foolish ranting!" Shifu said impulsively._

_Tai Lung fell back into a stiff pose, shocked, broken. Everything he had trained for, everything he had lived for, had just been denied to him by his master, and his father. Sadness glazed over his eyes, and dark thoughts filled his broken heart._

"_Tai Lung, I didn't mean that quite so-"_

"_I'm going to town." The leopard interrupted, walking away from the center of the Hall of Warriors._

_Shifu was frozen in place as he watched his friend, student, and son walk away. "Tai Lung, there must be a way…Something else we can…I know you can be a hero, if we just-"_

_But the thoughts that entered the Master of a Thousand Scrolls had nothing to do with being a hero. Only that of a dishonored, disappointed, and broken warrior_


	2. Peace

The leopard awoke in a start. He looked around to find he was lying in a bed, bandages on his light fur. His muscles were tense, sore, and he could barely move. Whatever bones were not bruised or cracked, were still deeply throbbing.

Summoning every bit of power in his body, he stood up, stumbling out of the room to find his keeper. He was in a small house, possibly a temporary home for a traveler. He found himself dizzy, pain aching throughout his bones. He ignored it, just as he had all though years of being trained by Shifu. Tai Lung felt as if he should be full of rage, anger, and hatred towards the name. But for some reason, he couldn't. Was he this worn? To the point he couldn't remember who his enemies were.

Before he could ponder over it any longer, a relatively large feline, a woman, walked in on him. She was very muscular and looked to be a warrior, sporting a heavy vest. "Who are you?" He spoke. Tai Lung found his voice to be cracked, tired, filled with the pain he had absorbed over the last day.

She gasped loudly. "You shouldn't be up!" She said scolding. Feeling accused, and mothered, Tai Lung replied, "Are you my mother?" But nonetheless, the leopard felt dizzy still, barely able to stand on his two feet. As he started to fall, the Mountain Cat caught him, slipping her arm around his back. She walked him over to a worn piece of furniture and laid him down.

"You looked sturdy, but I didn't expect you to recover this fast." She said marveling. He shifted his position, keeping of the arm that was the focal point of Po's Finger Hold. Po. Tai Lung now realized he would never forget that name. The name also had a…different sense of meaning as it had a day ago. Yesterday, it was an obstacle, one more to be defeated, cast aside so Tai Lung could reach the scroll. But now, the panda was much more.

He was the one who took Tai Lung's destiny. Destroyed his last attempt to finally have the Scroll, to become the warrior he and his former Master had always known he would be. Tai Lung had trained for twenty years to become the Dragon Warrior, only to be met by twenty more years of prison. Torturous prison. Vachir and his words which had haunted him every day. Every day, until he escaped. He escaped a prison of one-thousand of China's Anvil of Heaven. Then, he was met by the 'five finest warriors' China had to offer. But he defeated them, another obstacle overcome.

But the panda, Tai Lung couldn't defeat him. Not even Tai Lung's strongest attacks fazed the warrior. So he lost. There was no way to change it. Tai Lung had been humiliated, defeated, and cast out. Body cracked, mind broken, what was left for him? Nothing. The only answer he could find. He would live out his days with the shame of this defeat that he would carry to his death. But that was his fault. For not being as strong as he thought he was. For being a failure, to his master, to himself, and to his homeland. OF course, he had become a failure years ago. Twenty years ago to be specific. When he found out he was not the Dragon Warrior, and when he killed to prove he was.

"Twenty years at the Jade Palace. I'm not going to stay down with a few scratches." He said, wondering off the conversation. She tilted her head musingly and said, "Well they aren't just scratches…But did you say you trained at the Jade Palace?" She seemed a bit excited over the prospect.

"Yes. Did I stutter?" Tai Lung, not realizing how rude he was being to the person who just saved his live, was too busy wondering why she hadn't ran off screaming. Her face didn't seem to hold any sign of fear, so he asked, "Don't you know who I am?"

She shook her head a matter-of-factly, "No clue. I just found you outside the school grounds. Were you coming to see the Masters or something? I mean since you're all the way from the Jade Pala-"

Tai Lung interrupted her asking, "Where am I?"

"We're just outside Lee Da Academy. I started teaching so I have a private hut out he-"

"Lee Da! How in the hell did I get here?" Tai Lung exclaimed. Lee Da was on the other side of the country from the Valley of Peace. Did the Wuxi Finger Hold blast him all the way here? Impossible! He wouldn't have survived. In fact, how did he survive the Finger hold at all?

"Would you quit interrupting me?" She snapped, "And I don't know! I just had an instinct to go outside, and when I did I found you, passed out on the path. You were beat to a pulp but I healed you up. Well, not your attitude anyway" She said upset.

Tai Lung realizing (something he wouldn't even had noticed in the last twenty years) that this girl had just saved his life, and that he was being extremely offensive to her, said, "Well thank you…er-"

"Mei Ling" She said quickly.

"-for saving my life" He said this quietly, still the proud, arrogant feline he had always been. But still, he felt different. Was he because he had lost his destiny? Or even, found what he thought was his destiny: The Dragon Scroll, which turned out to be nothing. Maybe it was just he was finally defeated, heart destroyed by losing all sense of purpose, so he no longer needed the rage that had manifested in him for years.

The Mountain Cat then said, "Well, it might be awhile, you're still pretty bruised up, but eventually we should be able to travel back to the Jade Palace. I've got a friend there I haven't visited in a-"

"No." Tai Lung said quickly, powerfully, and commandingly. "I 'm never going back to that god-forsaken place again." He said wretchedly. Even if he could, if all the pain and trouble and destruction he had caused the Valley of Peace was taken away, and they forgave him, more importantly, if Shifu forgave him: he could not. Tai Lung was no longer a Master. He was an exile. An outcast.

"Okay…But I just thought you'd want to-"

"No, it's quite all right." He added quickly.

The Mountain Cat, looking rather disappointed, flopped back on a chair, "Fine then. I guess Crane will have to wait to see me" She said depressed.

A silence filled the room for quite a while. Tai Lung still felt embarrassed for having to be saved by a simple citizen. "You know Master Crane then?"

Mei Ling, apparently brightened by talking about the Master, said, "Of course! He trained with me here. Well, not for long anyway. Almost as soon as he got accepted as a student Oogway took him to the palace."

A look of longing and sadness filled her eyes, as she brought her knees to her chin. The same eerie silence filled the room as before. But this left Tai Lung to think.

Maybe Tai Lung hadn't been blasted to Lee Da. But the possibility he had actually travelled here, in his broken, shattered state was insignificant. It was a week's travel, farther away than Chorh-Gom was from the Valley of Peace. "How long have I been here?"

She snapped out of her thoughts and said, "Uh, a few days. Maybe ten?"

Ten days unconscious! No doubt a week ago Tai Lung couldn't even walk! But surely the Five and Po would be searching for the leopard, unless…unless they thought he was dead.

"I need to leave soon. Now" He got up hastily. A pain spiked his side, making him fall down.

"Stay down damn you." She snapped. She helped him back onto the couch where he groaned, the pain subsiding. "For being a great Master you sure are stupid."

Offended, Tai Lung said, "Pain isn't going to-" Then all of her words struck him. "Wait...you know who I am?"

"Of course I do. Who wouldn't recognize one of the few Masters of the Thousand Scrolls?" She said standing up.

"Only Master of a Thousand Scrolls girl." He stated proudly.

"Careful there big boy, you're not the only one. In fact, you're looking right at one." She smiled, hands on hips. She walked towards the door, "Get some rest."

Speechless, Tai Lung only asked, "Wait. If you knew who I was…why didn't you run, or kill me on sight. Why would you spare a monster?" Pain laced his words. And though he didn't notice, there was regret.

Mei Ling laughed, "You didn't seem like a monster to me. Guess a few minutes of conversation can say a lot about a person" As she opened the door, she paused and said,

"Sometimes, when we lose one thing, we find another. Master Oogway told me that, right before Crane left." Once again, he could tell she felt longing for her former friend.

After she had left, Tai Lung reflected on her words. He imagined the old turtle saying that. What did it mean?

He had lost the Dragon Scroll, he had lost his destiny, but yet he found nothing. But still, the words hung on his ears. He knew something was different about him. He had felt it as soon as he had come to. Not wanting to kill, to fight. It was a relief actually. He felt as if a great load had been lifted from his shoulders.

Still puzzled, Tai Lung laid his head down to sleep. As sleep fell upon him, he thought he heard a voice whisper. And then it dawned on him.

He had lost his destiny; but perhaps…perhaps he had found peace.


	3. Autumn

When Tai Lung awoke for a second time, he found himself alone in the small hut. Mei Ling had apparently gone to the Academy to teach. He wondered if she had told anyone that he was here. Surely they would hand him over to the Jade Palace. And that he could not face. Seeing that betrayer Shifu, the Dragon Warrior, or the Valley.

_Might as well get a head start. _As he stood up, he found himself in pain, but more of an irritation than a blunt pain. Tai Lung opened the door of the hut and was met with a gust of fresh air. He breathed it in slowly and walked out into the cool autumn breeze. Three-fourths of the year was spent snowing at Lee Da, but today seemed to be perfect.

The hut was located near a cliff. A path led up the mountain. Most likely, that's where Lee Da was. He headed up the path slowly, remembering that he was recovering from his recent battle with the Dragon Warrior.

It still baffled him. It baffled him that a panda could beat him. There was no more than that. What made it so confusing, so impossible; what made it so hard for Tai Lung to grasp was that the panda had beaten him without any extra power. The Dragon Scroll was fraud. The panda had beaten him fair and square, without any help. So it must mean that Tai Lung was a failure.

"**Don't think like that Tai Lung."**

Tai Lung twisted around to see who the voice belonged to. _Nobody._

Tai Lung waved it off and continued up the path. Sweat beaded his forehead, more from straining his more or less severe injuries than anything. Of course, he ignored it, just as Shifu had always taught him to do.

_Shifu._ It was his fault Tai Lung was in this mess. It was not only because he told him to strive for the Dragon Scroll, but he hadn't even vouched for him when Oogway refused to give Tai Lung the Scroll. So now, Tai Lung asked himself, did he fail his master; or did his master fail him?

"**Neither. Both."**

Tai Lung paused startled. He recognized the voice this time. If he hadn't, the floating peach blossoms, willowing in the breeze would have. They all collected in one central spot, and Tai Lung could have sworn he saw something being shaped, but before he could focus, they drifted away again. Tai Lung ran after them, ignoring any pain it brought him. "Oogway! I know you're here!"

_Oogway. _The very personification of his failures. The fact that Tai Lung had trained his whole life for the Scroll, the fact Tai Lung had mastered the other Thousand Scrolls, and even the fact that Tai Lung could beat anyone who tried to harm him; No of it was ever good enough for Oogway. And so, the turtle refused to give him the Scroll, using the excuse that Tai Lung had 'darkness in his heart'.

"**But you did Tai Lung. And you proved it."**

The leopard stopped in his tracks and swung around. There stood a collection of peach blossoms, flowing and drifting like an ocean under the power of the moon. For everyone that floated off into the wind, one more appeared to replace it.

"Oogway…What…What do you mean?" He stuttered in shock.

The turtle (or whatever you would call him now that he was an apparition) merely chuckled and mused, "Could the mighty Tai Lung never figure it out? A possible explanation to his pains? Or the reason I did what I did?"

Tai Lung, teeth gritted replied, "Do not patronize me old man. Why are you here? You're dead." He said with malevolence. Perhaps this was a dream. More like a nightmare. Perhaps it was supposed to be a last minute revelation that Tai Lung needed before he was sent to hell.

"Yes, I suppose. But I am here Tai Lung, because you need me here."

Tai Lung laughed loudly, sarcastically, "What in the hell makes you think I want you here! You destroyed my dreams! You sent me to a prison of hurt and hell and perdition! So if you think I wanted my old Grand Master to spout lies in my face, and tar on my dreams, forget it old man!" Angrily, Tai Lung lashed out a fist into the petals, but of course it would have no effect. Whatever petals stuck to his fist only drifted back towards the form of the passed away Master.

"Yes, I suppose I did. But you did not hear me. I said you **need** me here. Do not confuse your wants with your needs."

Tai Lung narrowed his eyes at the turtle, "Explain."

"Take your life as an example. You always strived for the Dragon Scroll, thinking power was all you needed to become the greatest kung fu master to ever walk these lands. But, in truth, power was what you **wanted**. You **wanted** to prove to Shifu, to this land, and to yourself that you were the powerful Dragon Warrior. When you never needed any of that."

Tai Lung, stricken, only muttered, "So, I was the Dragon Warrior all along."

Oogway chuckled darkly, "I didn't say that"

"So what are you saying then? What are you doing here Oogway! Why am I such a burden to the world?" Tai Lung screamed, tears forming in his eyes.

Oogway sighed, "Ask anything Tai Lung. I will have the answers…"

Anger rose to fill all of Tai Lung until he burst out, "Where were you Oogway! While I rotted in that jail, having every moment of my life turned on me, my training, my failures, my father; You were in safety, hidden in your own damn shell! You never cared about me! You didn't give a damn about me! I worked my arse off, every day, every moment! I trained my absolute hardest, and all I asked in return was YOUR acceptance! YOUR approval! Shifu may have been a coward in not making me the Dragon Warrior, but at least he noticed me. At least he _acted_ liked he cared about me! "

Tai Lung was breathing hard, hunched over. His eyes glinted with wet tears. Everything had said, had been the thoughts he had in Chorh-Gom. Of course, he had twenty years of thoughts.

But when Tai Lung looked into Oogway's eyes, (or where Oogway's eyes would have been) he saw a shimmering. Tears had stained the petals. Tai Lung could almost see the sadness on the jade turtle's face.

"I know this Tai Lung. And for that, I am sorry. But know that I did care. We both cared about you. Maybe if I had guided you into the fact that you were meant for other things than being the Dragon Warrior, instead of crushing everything you knew, I could have saved you" The turtle turned around to look out over the mountains.

"The reason I am here Tai Lung, is to tell you something. To tell you this; your destiny lies at the Jade Palace. You will find something there. Whether it is a truth, a lie, or something much worse…You must go there."

Tai Lung stepped back, despair in his eyes. "I will not return there Oogway. I do not want to. Why would I return to those who have betrayed me, those who have tried to kill me, and those who have humiliated me? Besides…No one will ever accept me again…So why should I return."

Oogway smiled as he looked over to Tai Lung. "For…Redemption." The body of petals turned back to Tai Lung and walked towards him, looking him in the eyes, "You must believe that you can be redeemed Tai Lung. Promise me you will believe."

And in the same, fear-stricken voice that his master and father had used to answer this, Tai Lung muttered, "I…I will try." Tai Lung found he was calm, looking deeply at the turtle, who had been one of his maters for so long.

The turtle smiled and turned, "Good. Now you know what you must do, my young Dragon Warrior."

Tai Lung's jaw had dropped, confusion washing over his face. As the petals dissipated into the air, he swore he heard laughter.

"Tai Lung?" He heard a feminine voice ask behind him.

Tai Lung turned around, "Mei Ling. I was just uh-"

She stepped down from a rock that she had been climbing and said, "How'd you even get down here. I told you that you need rest!"

Once again offended, Tai Lung replied sarcastically, "What are you my mother?"

She rolled her eyes, "Come on." She started to walk back up the trail and Tai Lung looked back over the edge of the cliff. A wind drifted by and he caught the smell of peach.

"Tai Lung!" Mei Ling snapped, "Hurry up!"

Tai Lung smiled, but turned around and walked to the Mountain Cat.

"It's really nice out here today. We don't have very many days like this." She looked back at him, question on her eyebrows. "What were you doing down here anyway?" She asked.

"Thinking." He replied, "Just…Thinking"


	4. Memories

_Do you know what my last thought was before I died old man? _

_I remembered that time that we went to the village. My first time. We met the people, went to stores, we haggled, and even met my first crush. Remember her? The girl tiger, with the jade earrings. She looked a lot like your new student. The new one who you can't seem to appreciate? The one, who gave her all, gave almost, __**almost, **__as much as I used to. Before you failed me. Before you failed me and got me killed by that big…_

_Fat…_

_PANDA!_

Shifu woke with a start, sweat beading at his forehead. He looked left and right, as if some bit of his nightmare had been watching him. Birds chirped in the summer air. It had been almost four months since the death of Tai Lung. His body was never found, so he was declared dead. Shifu knew his body would be eradicated by the Wuxi Finger Hold, but no one else did. Not even Po.

But the panda was not scared. He knew if Tai Lung would ever rise from the grave, he could beat him. Oogway was right, and it had been proven.

Po was the Dragon Warrior.

Shifu rose from bed and went to wake his students. He went to the barracks, only to hear the sounds of yelling and commotion from the training kwoon.

When he arrived inside, he found his students going through each of their exercises. He also noticed Tigress wasn't present. Neither was the panda.

And as if on cue, Po came running in behind him, "Ah, good morning Master! I was ju-"

"Where's Tigress?" Shifu noticed his voice was quiet and shaky. Po noticed as well.

"Master Shifu, are you all ri-"

"Where is Tigress?" He repeated louder, strong as usual.

"She's uh…Master; do you not remember what day it is?"

Shifu looked at him confused, "Day? What day?"

The panda looked at him stupefied, "Its…it's Tigress's birthday."

Shifu mentally slapped his forehead. It was Tigress's birthday! He had completely forgotten. He didn't even have a present. Of course, this wouldn't be the first time…

"Master, you know I'd never ask this on any other day but…" Viper started.

"Can we…uh…take the day off?" Crane finished.

Shifu snapped out of his thoughts, "Yes, yes of course…" That would give him time to get a present and get his thoughts sorted out.

The two looked ecstatic, and Viper gave a smiling nod to Mantis.

"He said yes! No way! I'd never think the old man would be such a-"

"Mantis!" She snapped, "He's right here!"

"Oh…"

Shifu wasn't even listening and decided to start by going to the village. Surely someone there could give him advice on what to get a…How old was Tigress even?

"_Watch what I can do Daddy!" The small snow leopard kicked the training dummy, perfect form, every tendon posed in the exact position. Shifu was amazed. Such a young boy, who had never been trained before. Shifu looked into his eyes and saw something there, something more beautiful than he had ever imagined. He saw the eyes of a warrior. A hero._

Tigress walked through the street, people bustling all around her, normal day-to-day business. But today wasn't normal. Not for her. It was her birthday, and today, she had the perfect idea. With the dawning of the Dragon Warrior, the Valley had fallen into a new feeling of peace.

And because of this, the Five barely ever had to go and silence any evil demons and cruel raiders. So, Tigress had been working on something. Something huge. And it would make Shifu proud of her; even more than if she would have become the Dragon Warrior.


	5. Dark Memories

_**Do you remember the night?...**_

_**"The night you turned, from the ambitious, young leopard you were; following on your Master's every word. Allowing him to control your thoughts, and to influence your future. Merely standing on the side as you became like a wooden warrior from the kwoon. Giving and taking hits, while never having meaning to them. **_

_**"The night you turned, into the powerful, ungodly warrior you were meant to be…Do you remember the taste…the taste of blood…"**_

_Tai Lung watched as a dark figure at a bar slammed down a _choko_ of sake, rattling the other cups. _

_"Again" the figure said boldly._

_A female bartender looked at him strangely, wondering how he could down so many, but shrugged and went to refill. _

_Sake had a foreign taste to it, one the leopard had always loved. It gave him an adventurous feeling, spurring him to visit the country it was imported from._

_But not tonight. Tonight, the man at the bar only wanted to drown his soul._

_**"The Dragon Scroll. It always intrigued you didn't it my dear…You hungered for it. Its power filled you with lust…"**_

_Tai Lung spun around, trying to find the women whose voice rang about his head like a church bell. Noone. Away from the bar that the figure sat at, only darkness filled. For miles, only wispy fog._

_SLAM!__ "Again." _

_Tai Lung turned back to the figure. He walked slowly towards the bar and took a seat by the figure. _

_He watched as the bartender gave the cloaked figure another drink and trotted away. She was a _Panthera pardus japonensis_, a North China Leopard. Unlike any others he had seen, her spots were organized, from her forehead to her thin waist. She wore a short silky dress, quite unusual for a late bartender. _

_Tai Lung knew her. She was familiar. _

_SMASH!__ The noise did not surprise Tai Lung. In fact he remembered the sound. But what struck him, was the expression on the girl's face. An expression of fear. Not to blame her that she was expressing fear-how would you feel if a large, cloaked figure smashed a very expensive choko set…that belonged to your very temperamental boss, but that he had seen the that very face when he…_

_"Again!" Stronger was the voice this time._

_Tai Lung turned to his left where the figure was, aiming at grabbing his shoulders. _

_But his hands passed right through the cloak of the figure. Tai Lung lifted his hands to his face. Trying to touch the figure again, Tai Lung swung his arm at him. It passed through like as if the man was water. _

_But it got his attention._

_Tai Lung gasped. _

_The eyes, the striking eyes, glazed over by a huge amount of alcohol; they were his._

_"What do you want…?" Cloaked Tai Lung asked. _

_Tai Lung only gawked. It was as if the cloaked version of himself was staring through him. Staring through him…_

_"What the hell are you doing getting drunk and smashing my glassware! That was a gift!"_

_Tai Lung swung around to see a huge swine, his face puffed up as if he had rubbed some allergen on his face._

_The Cloaked Tai Lung did not say anything. _

_Tai Lung stepped back slowly, shock on his face, and revelation in his heart. It was all coming together now. _

_**"Yes…"**_

_The sounds blurred of the swine's taunts as the women spoke again._

_**"What did you do next Tai Lung? What did you do?" **__The voice was unnatural, and did not belong in this memory_

_When he spoke his voice sounded distant, "I waited as he taunted me. I walked past him and drank his plonk. I stared him down, and as he swung…I broke his arm"_

_The events all unfolded as Tai Lung spoke._

_**"And next?"**_

_"I kept screaming 'I AM the Dragon Warrior! I AM!'. I broke the bar, grabbing a huge splinter of the wreckage. I stabbed him through the eye. He screamed so I shoved my fist in his mouth. Then, I threw him to the ground, shattering his back. I pummeled his face until the bones were goo."_

_**"Of course, how did the other bar mates feel about that?"**_

_"They attacked me."_

_From the dark fog, animals of all kinds ran at the Cloaked Tai Lung with broken mugs, chairs, and even silverware. _

"_One after another, I downed them. Each felt my wrath. I was drunk, and showed no mercy. The Scroll wasn't mine. I couldn't take it; so I killed them all. Except for…"_

_Tai Lung watched as the memory of himself walked towards the North China Leopard cowering in a ball in the corner. The face he would never forget stared at him, only wishing that she would see her parents one last time. She wouldn't._

_**"Yes…You would end up killing them, without knowing of course, later that night…Continue"**_

_The Cloaked Tai Lung bent down to her and grabbed her face roughly. One paw ran over her face, leaving a trail of blood._

_Tai Lung remembered, because in this one moment, looking at the fear and desolation he had bestowed upon this girl, he felt remorse._

_But it was swatted away as she pushed him back, tears staining her cheeks._

_The Cloaked Tai Lung roared and stood. He gave her the chance to run, so she did. Right out the front door. Once she was long gone, he took a lamp and shattered it. _

_**"An hour later the building would be burnt to the ground. This was the start of your rampage. This is where you tasted first blood"**_

_Tears flew down Tai Lung's cheeks as more memories flashed by. Of him killing parents and unmarried men. Smashing building and carts. Destroying lives._

_**"And everyone would remember your name as the murderer…Your name…Tai Lung…Tai Lung! TAI LUNG!**_

"Tai Lung! Tai Lung, wake up!" Mei Ling slammed her paw on his chest.

He sputtered and coughed, reality flushing back.

"What the hell!" He roared.

She shrank back and stood away from him. He found that he on a cot, in the room Mei Ling had given him. He had been dreaming.

"You were…You were screaming and starting thrashing…so I tried to calm you down and then …you got violent…and I-I saw you stopped breathing so I…I had to help…" She seemed shaken as a peach tree in a wind storm.

Tai Lung stooped looking around and gave his attention to her. He saw two things.

One, Mei Ling was crying. And the reason, two, was the gash across her face, right next to her left eye, a crescent shape. Leopard claws.

Tai Lung looked quickly to his paw. His claws were not sheathed, blood coated them.

He jumped up and hurried to her, examining the wound. It wasn't too deep and but could still scar.

Fortunately, from all his wounds and needing to be healed, first aid kits littered the hut. He dug through one to find bandages.

Mei Ling curled up in a chair as he tended to the wound. Silence filled the hut.

All Tai Lung felt was remorse, and Mei Ling, fear.

"Don't help me…Ever again"

"What?" Mei Ling's voice came out as a squeak.

"This is what happens when you try and help me…You'll get hurt"

He continued to pressure it to stop the bleeding. The new ongoing silence was again broken by him.

"Why are you crying?"

"What do you mean?" No squeaking this time. Mei Ling had recovered her voice strong again.

"I thought you Masters were tough?"

"I'm not crying because you hurt me! I thought you were dying you idiot!" And instead of punching him or pushing him away, round housing him or just a swift nail to the jewels;

Mei Ling wrapped her arms around Tai Lung.

Struck, he was still for a moment, letting her do whatever she was doing.

And then, Tai Lung decided that this girl had saved his life, nurtured him to health, stopped him from suffocation, and was pretty damn beautiful;

So he embraced her.

And this moment was historic, because this would be the first embrace Tai Lung, the Master of One Thousand Scrolls, had had in over twenty-five years.


	6. Light Memories

_It was Tigress's birthday. In fact, her first since she was inducted into the Jade Palace by Master Shifu. For years, she had been trapped at that dark orphanage, taking neglect from the caretaker, and receiving fear from the other children. And when this happened, she took her anger out on them. Took her rage out upon the innocent children and the orphanage, smashing doors and braking windows. She kept doing this until it had to be put to a stop. They were going to send her away._

_But then Shifu came along. Shifu came and taught her the basics of Kung Fu. He taught her to control her anger and power. He taught her discipline._

_And then, after still being rejected by the world, Shifu took her in. For another month Shifu taught her Kung Fu. For another month, she learned under him. _

_Except she barely ever saw him. Instead, she was taught by other Masters that stayed at the Palace. The only time she saw him was every third day when he wanted to work with her personally, and when he was off with that other student. _

_She had heard much of him, but learned so little._

_His name was Tai Lung, and he was supposed to be the strongest of every warrior. He had destroyed platoons of enemies, mastered every scroll, and even defeated Shifu in hand-to-hand combat._

_Not to mention that he was incredibly handsome. _

_But today was not about him. It was about her. It was the day where she could have sweets and do what _she _wanted. _

_But if so, where was Shifu?_

_Today was her training day with him, so maybe he was overexcited. Perhaps he forgot about her birthday and was waiting for her in the kwoon. This did not bother her if he forgot; she could just surprise him with it._

_She jumped out of her small bed and jumped in some of the new clothes she had received from the heifers that tended to the laundry. '_They remembered' _Tigress thought._

_Five minutes later, she burst through the kwoon doors. Shifu stood in his normal spot, his back facing towards her. _

_"Shifu, I-"_

"_Tigress!" He spun around to meet her with angry eyes and a furious face."Why are you late?"_

_He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her towards the kwoon. _

"_But Shifu, do you not rem-"_

_He stopped her, "There is no time for chatting since you decided to skip your duties and be late this morning. Do you think you are my only student? Now, let us begin…"_

_And so the morning went like it usually would with Shifu. They took each part of the kwoon step-by-step; from the Spinning Dragons, to the Jade Tortoise and even the Flying Gauntlets. _

_Next, he had her practice her forms, along with adding a new one._

_She sweat and grew tired throughout the day, following a set routine. _

_And when she finally was sent back to the barracks, she slid open her door, walked in, slammed the former and crumpled on her bed which she stained with tears. _

_As she sobbed, the floorboards in the hallway squeaked under a large, muscular weight as another student strolled to bed as he did every night at this time. The only difference was he held an average scroll._

_However, tonight, instead of continuing past the other rooms, he heard a faint weep._

_After deciding it was a child did he run a large paw through the fur on his head and open the door to the girl's room. _

_When Tigress realized someone had entered, she hopped up and held her hand to her head, only breaking the salute to wipe away a final tear. It was Tai Lung. "Yes Master, eh…" _

_Tai lung smiled. "Do not fret young Tigress, I am no Master yet. But still, I have the audacity to ask; why is such a strapping, young warrior like yourself crying at this time of night?"_

_She tensed at the realization of being in the presence of such a hero, blushed at the compliment he gave her, and started sobbing again at the embarrassment of being found in such a sorry state._

_Tai Lung felt pity for her and sat down on her cot, motioning for her to join._

_She sat next to him, expecting a lecture. Instead, he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her to his side. "Shifu got you down, eh?"_

_She nodded miserably._

"_What'd the old wanker do this time?"_

_Tigress was surprised as she had never heard any curse Shifu, but felt he deserved it anyway. She sniffled back her tears and started to speak, "T-today was supposed to b-be special. It w-was…I w-was…" Tigress could not finish as she broke into a new round of tears._

_Tai Lung understood._

"_Well, he might not care one bit, but, my dear Warrior Tigress; I would love to be the first to wish…" He got off the bed and kneeled in front of her, pressing her paw to his lips. He smiled and looked up at her, "Happy Birthday"_

"_I am afraid the laundry workers have already beaten you to it."_

_Both heads swiveled towards the door where Shifu stood._

_A growl came from Tai Lung's throat."Can't you see we're having a conversation old man?"_

_Shifu only stood, head held high. _

_Tai Lung ignored him and sat on the floor back pressed to the cot so that he would be closer to Tigress. _

"_So tell me about yourself Warrior Tigress?" He said sociably._

_Although she felt it was awkward that Shifu was watching she began to tell him about the orphanage and how Shifu found her, trained her, took her in. Then, as she got deeper into the details of her life, Tai Lung asked simpler question; from if she remembered her parents to what was her favorite food. _

_Bit by bit, she became happier, and started enjoying Tai Lung's company more and more. Eventually, she was at the point where he tickled her, making her giggle loudly before she said goodbye. _

"_Now young one, it is __**way **__past your bedtime. Train hard, and remember to…eh, brush your teeth…or something like that." He ruffled the fur on her head before getting up to leave. _

"_Wait! You never told me what that was Tai Tai!" She pointed to the scroll_

"_Oh, what; this?" He shook the scroll that he held. A smiled crossed his lips. _

_Tai Lung kneeled down, unfolding the scroll in front of her. _

_On it was a painting. Watercolors blossomed into two shapes, one inside the other; a dragon holding yet another scroll. They were adorned in beautiful gold, small floral patterns decorated both._

"_What is it?" she said awestruck._

_He chuckled, "I'm surprised you've not seen it by your own eyes. Beautiful isn't it?"_

_Shifu spoke again, "It is said to hold the secret to ultimate power. Only the true Dragon Warrior is allowed to read upon its grace."_

_Tigress gasped again._

"_And between you and me," Tai Lung came in close as if other ears were listening, "I think I got a good chance of becoming the Dragon Warrior"_

_She jumped back and gasped a third time, "Really?"_

_He nodded laughing, "Pretty cool, eh?"_

"_Now enough story-telling, it is your bedtime," Shifu said to Tigress, "and Tai Lung…I wish to talk with-"_

"_Yeah, Yeah shut your gob for a second." He turned back to Tigress, "Sleep well Warrior Tigress" He said with a wink._

_She jumped in her bed and watched as he walked towards the door, "Hey Tai?" She said with a yawn._

"_Yes Warrior Tigress?"_

"_Do you think…" Another yawn, "I can be a Dragon Warrior too?"_

_He laughed softly, "Yes…Yes you can be a Dragon Warrior."_

_She smiled and closed her eyes. "Good…"_

"_Happy Birthday Tigress" He finished._

_But she was fast asleep._


	7. Shadow Man

The dark figure stood in front of the three felines, ignoring them for the moment while he did his own bidding. He was on top of a platform surrounded by demonic statues, seemingly in a trance. Of course his face was obscured; the only part of him seen were his completely black pupils, surrounded by the glowing yellow of any felines' eyes.

"How do we even know he won't kill us on the spot? You know how Tai is, this guy could be even worse! Have you seen-" The second sister silenced the second's whispers of fear. The third growled at them to pay attention.

Their Master was about to speak.

"So his memory has kept…I was afraid the blast might blind him from what he once was…" His deep voice rattled their bones. It was as fear itself emanated from his throat.

"Why does it matter? We don't need him; we could just kill the guy and save us the trouble-"

"Fool!" The figure spun around quickly, his cape fluttering about, but not enough to reveal him. "He is the key to it all!" He roared to the oldest sister. "Without him, all of this would be for naught! Not to mention I would no longer exist" He whispered this last sentence to himself as he returned to his work.

The three sisters merely stood until their Lord returned from yet another daze.

"I have located more shadows, ones that would be great prospects for our...plans…"

The oldest sister rolled her eyes, "Why do you need these 'shadows' when you could just hire mercenaries? Like us!"

The cloaked man sprung forward, faster than lightning, grabbing the sister by the neck before she could react.

A paw protruded from the folds of the shadowy cloak. Up close, the cloak could be seen to move and ripple across, like a vast ocean after a storm. It left foggy trails of darkness that flew away from the base, touching her; for every one that did, left a cold, icy spot on the Mountain Cat's fur.

"This is why." He flicked his wrist—the one with her in it—and a new feeling ran throughout the oldest sister.

It was pain.

It was horror.

It was fear and it was hate, and it was incredible. It was wonderful, burning, terrible, amazing, and cold.

It. Was. Power.

He dropped her to the ground where she clutched her neck, letting air run through her lungs.

The youngest ran to her side while the middle sister struck a defensive pose in front of the two. "How dare you touch he-"

"I want it." The sister stood up. "I want that power…What must I do?"

The Shadow Man chuckled softly. "You already have it. That is why I found you; that is why I struggled during my weak state to find the infamous Wu Sisters.

"You three are strange in the fact…well, you will find out. But know that you are a key to my plan"

The two younger Wu sisters waited for the third to give a command. No command came.

"What do you need done, my Lord?" Wu Zui kneeled down. The other two slowly followed.

A smile crossed the Shadow Man's face. "Yes…Yes." A sinister laugh refilled the air of this world once more.

"I think it is time Tai Lung had a visit from his old friends…Zui! Lao! Xiao!"

The three stood at the call of their names from their new master.

"I want you to find our leopard friend…Do not kill him. Instead, I want you to…"

It was late night and no one had heard from Tigress. The six Masters waited in the kitchen, hoping for her return.

"Where is she? It's not like Tigress to be late…" Viper said worryingly.

"How can she be late? This is a surprise, she doesn't know about it." Crane stated.

"Maybe she's already in bed. We all know how Tigress needs her beauty sleep" Mantis said sarcastically.

Each Master held a gift of some sort—except Po who had done a fair amount of cooking that day.

Another fifteen minutes or so went by. Viper smacked Po awake from his drooling position at the table as footsteps creaked down the hallway.

They all readied themselves, and when the door opened…

"Surprise!" They all screamed.

The goose yelled in fright, and ran back out the door.

The Masters all looked at each other for a moment.

Then, they all burst out laughing, even Shifu. For moments, the laughs went on, until broken by a strong voice.

"What are you all doing in here? Zheng just ran out like he'd seen a ghost and…Is that Mung Bean Ice Cream?"

They all turned towards the door where Tigress stood, one claw already dipping to taste her favorite dessert.

"Tigress eh…" Po started startled. "Um…surprise!"


End file.
